Work-box.



M. P. BEACH.

I WORK BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. 1916.

1,198,818. Patented Sept. 19,1916.

1 l3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1m; nukn's PETERS w. mmm l nun wm-Ilmumm u UNITED STATES rarer onnio.

MALVINA PEABODY BEACH, 0F RIDGEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

WORK-BOX.

Application filed February 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MALVINA PEABODY BEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgefield, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVork-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in work boxes and its objects are to produce a work box that will hold spools of thread, silk or the like, rotatably within the box, keep the several threads from entanglement within the box, and also hold the thread ends severally accessible outside the box; and to save wastage of threads and silks, and 'to keep each thread under a tension as it issues from the box for convenience in pulling out desired lengths of thread for the threading of needles, and to provide space in the box not only for the spools but for other workbox equipment.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of work box embodying this invention. In this view a plurality of thread ends are shown projecting from a side covering of the box. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the work box with the cover removed, and shows a plurality of fixed spool-receiving pegs, a spool loose on each peg and having its thread extending through the box sides. The view also shows pockets for a thimble, wax, measuring tape, etc., and a clear space for other articles. Fig. 3 is a detail, partially in section, vertically through any one of the thread exits and illustrates a fixed peg and a. spool of thread loose on the peg,

the thread on the spool passing through the eye of a needle which is shown passing through a tubular guide, a wad of needlepierceable friction material, and through the box covering. Fig. 4: is a sectional detail through a box wall having a thread exit which is covered on one side or the other with needle-pierceable material.

In the drawings, marginal portions of the box bottom 1 support a plurality of fixed and upstanding spool-receiving pegs 2 on each of which a spool 00 of thread is rotatably placed, the spools being kept in place on the pegs by the box cover 3 opposed to the free ends of the pegs, and in the form shown, to the tops of the spools. Near each eg a box side 4: is formed with a thread exit hole 5 which is preferably bushed with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Serial No. 77,553.

an eyelet 6, the inward end of which is ex posed to view at the box lining 7 so that the user knows exactly where to thrust a needle through in threading up the box. The outside box covering 8 is of needlepierceable material. The outward end of the bushing or eyelet bears against a wad or mass of needlepierceable thread-engaging material, or friction-piece 9 in the exit hole 5, and such friction-piece or material is so held in the exit hole between the box covering and the inner end of the eyelet, thus insuring retention of the friction piece or material 9 in its place even though it be comes dry and shrinks, or becomes worn by repeated piercings by the needle. As shown the frictional material extends into the eyelet or bushing, and this is desirable, for while the box covering itself forms a part of the effective friction material and may constitute the whole of the friction material which engages the thread and holds it in place accessible from outside the box, yet the box-covering material will in course of time become worn by being repeatedly pierced by a needle shown as 10, used in threading up the box, as exhausted spools are replenished and the threading up process is performed from time to time. The friction material or wad or mass 9 is desirable, and the longer such wad is, the better. I therefore prefer to fill the bore of the bushing and the exit hole through the wall side, clamping the material 9 in place between the box covering and the outward end of the bushing. To thread up the work box each spool thread is placed in the eye of the needle 10 which is pushed through the bushing, friction 9 and box covering (Fig. 3), the several thread ends 11 being thus brought into accessible position outside the box and held accessible by the frictional resistance of the friction and box covering. The several frictions 9 may of course be omitted if the box covering is of strong and durable material and of a texture to serve as a frictional retainer of the thread. Ifthe box has no covering the friction material 9 may be used alone as shown in Fig. 4 where a sheet metal box side 12 is shown provided with a felt covering 13 over a thread exit hole 14 through the box side, but generally covered and lined wooden boxes will be used, it being intended to make the work boxes in an ornamental manner and to cover and line them with fine fabrics or leather. The

spool pegs and spools as now shown are located adjacent two sides of the box, the other sides being equipped with upstanding pockets 15 open at the top and capped by the box cover when the latter is closed to hold the contents of the pockets therein. This arrangement affords a central clear space within the line of the spools and pockets for other articles, and the inside of the box cover is shown equipped with a holder 16 for scissors and the like as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As heretofore made, womens work boxes or bags have frequently become a confused jumble of tangled threads and other things. By the present invention various kinds, sizes and colors of spool threads and silks are kept from entanglement and in convenient accessibility without opening the box, and in a condition which prevents the threads from working outwardly or inwardly. The invention effects a considerable economy in the use of thread and silk, and when the box cover is closed and locked, the contents of the pegs and pockets are held in place, which is convenient at all times whether at home or in traveling. Threads are always accessible for use even when the box is locked.

What I claim is,

1. As anew article of manufacture, a work box having a plurality of thread exits through its sides, a plurality of interiorly fixed spool-receiving pegs, means for keeping the spools on the pegs, and a needlepierceable-thread-engaging body of friction material adapted to normally frictionally engage the entire circumference of the thread for each exit; the thread-engaging friction bodies being pierceable by a needle carrying a thread and operating to hold the thread ends projecting exteriorly from the box.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a work box having a plurality of thread exits through its side, a plurality of interiorly fixed spool-receiving pegs, means for keeping the spools on the pegs, and a threadengaging friction body for each exit; the thread-engaging friction bodies being pierce able by a. needle carrying a thread and operating to hold the thread ends projecting exteriorly from the box; a bushing for each exit, the inward ends of the bushings being exposed, a needle-pierceable box-covering opposed to the outward ends of the bushings, and thread-engaging material in the bushmgs.

3. The combination in a work box, of a spool holder, a spool rotatably mounted on the holder, a thread exit through the box wall, a thread-tensioning and needle-pierceable wad for the thread exit; the spoolcontained thread passing through the wad and held tensionally thereby to keep athread end exteriorly accessible.

4. A work box comprising a series of interior spool holders, a series of rotatable spools, a series of thread exits through the box walls, and for each exit needlepierceable material adapted to normally frictionally engage the entire circumference of the thread for holding the several threads frictionally at the exits and there holding the thread ends in exteriorly accessible and withdrawable position.

5. A work box comprising a series of interior spool holders; a series of rotatable spools; a series of thread exits through the box walls; an exterior needle-pierceable boxwall covering; a thread-engaging needlepierceable body in each exit adjacent the y cover; and for each exit a tubular bushing.

the outward end of which impinges against the thread-engaging needle-pierceable body in the exit to hold it in place in the exit between the exterior covering and the inward end of the bushing, the inward end of which is exposed to view. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of February, 1916. MALVINA PEABODY BEACH. lVitnesses:

WV. R. WARNER, G. BLAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

